Bo City, Sierra Leone
23rd July 2026
Marking a major milestone in national resilience, the Government of Sierra Leone, through the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), has successfully wrapped up the Year One Annual Implementation Review Meeting for the Sierra Leone Pandemic Fund Project. Gathered at Bo City's De Wizzard Hall from July 21–23, key stakeholders, government officials, development partners, and technical experts convened to evaluate the project's foundational first year. Rather than waiting to react to crises, this initiative highlights Sierra Leone's proactive strategy of investing heavily today to safeguard health security tomorrow.
Annual implementation reviews are critical cogs in public health governance, serving several vital purposes for readiness and preparedness. By tracking the rollout of tools like the Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eIDSR) system and the 7-1-7 surveillance performance framework, the review ensures that the country can detect and isolate health threats faster than ever before. Furthermore, bringing implementers and financing partners together allows teams to openly address operational hurdles, refine financial tracking, and pivot strategies to accelerate delivery where it matters most, while solidifying the One Health framework to stop zoonotic diseases at their source.
Throughout the three-day meeting, participants engaged in rigorous thematic sessions to celebrate notable achievements across multiple pillars. Teams highlighted the expansion of real-time mortality tracking, integrated health data dashboards, and the institutionalization of Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) to ensure grassroots populations are informed and empowered. Additionally, cross-sectoral synergy was heavily emphasized through the operationalization of wildlife and animal health surveillance, coordinated closely by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry (MoECC).
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Mohamed Alex Vandi, Deputy Executive Director of the NPHA, emphasized the government's unwavering dedication to transparency and continuous improvement, noting that the Pandemic Fund is actively strengthening the nation's capacity to detect, prevent, and respond rapidly to public health threats. Partners echoed this unified vision, with Michael Alusine N’dolie reaffirming the World Health Organization's (WHO) dedication to international health regulations, Kululeko Dube of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) underscoring the human-animal-environment nexus, and leaders like James Riak of GOAL and Director Saidu Bamayange of MAFS stressing community empowerment and robust animal health surveillance.
As the Pandemic Fund Project transitions past its first year, Sierra Leone stands better equipped to confront emerging biological threats through refined laboratory networks, emergency preparedness protocols, and multi-sectoral partnerships. The review ultimately demonstrated that the nation is making meaningful progress by preparing long before emergencies occur, reinforcing the guiding philosophy that the strongest health systems are measured by how well they prepare today for the protection of tomorrow.
Public Relations Unit
NPHA-SL